Brown Tells Fans To Lay Off Smith After Arrest

Retired UFC fighter Matt Brown has called out fans criticizing Anthony Smith following the analyst's late-July arrest in Nebraska on charges including domestic violence, terroristic threats, and first-degree false imprisonment.

Brown, who has a personal relationship with Smith, took issue with the online reaction during an appearance on MMA Fighting's podcast. "These motherf*ckers need to lay off Anthony Smith," he said, per BJ Penn. "We weren't there and neither was 100 percent of the people that are confidently judging his life from headlines and social media posts."

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What Brown Said About Smith's Arrest

The former welterweight contender acknowledged the severity of the situation but stopped short of defending Smith's alleged actions. Brown noted that police were called and that Smith's wife was clearly distressed, but he argued that fans making snap judgments based on news reports lack the full picture. He praised comedian Brendan Schaub for making similar points about Smith's character as a family man.

According to police details reported after the arrest, Smith allegedly threatened to kill his wife and attempted to run her over with a vehicle following an argument at a bar in Sarpy County. The UFC on Paramount+ analyst faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

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Jon Jones, who fought Smith in 2019, has also weighed in on the situation, suggesting that his former opponent turn to faith during this period. Smith has not publicly commented on the charges since his arrest.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — UFC fans ‘need to lay off’ Anthony Smith amid arrest, says retired slugger: “We weren’t there”